Izzy-the-Wise --Does she Want to be ‘Tamed”?

or: “Edges and Boundaries” between humans other creatures, first stages.

We want to ‘tame’ our pets. Or we assume our pets are already ‘tame’, don’t we? How, otherwise, did they earn the status of ‘domesticated animals’?

Then we are shocked when they do something ANIMALS do! Shocked we are when our ‘tame domesticated’ pet has snapped, stricken, nipped, rejected or threatened us! Hurt our egos! Where did things go wrong? (don’t misunderstand, Izzy hasn’t done this, I’m just thinking of other pet-taming tales gone off the track)

Always interested in the relationships of humans and domesticated animals, I ponder in the ‘Chicken Parlor Patio’ about taming little bantie, Izzy-the-Wise. What does she think of ME? What should I know about ME from her ‘point of view’? How can a hopefully sane and balanced human bother to ponder such things and admit deep thoughts about ‘taming chickens’? Confessing, I do.

Lots of hearts have already attached themselves to Izzy-the-Wise. She has done very little to ‘earn’ this attachment or affection other than ‘be herself’. She SEEMS cuddly, but is she? No signs of it yet, except nibbling corn from my hand. No matter what, she wins the vote of ‘which pullet do the kids want to pet most?’ When we reach out to her she is quick to dodge and flap her escape. So, Izzy, dear Izzy-the-Wise, we hope we can tame you. What to do?

New at chicken-attachment, I see that chickens are not rushing to attach themselves to me other than to hope I arrive with corn-scratch treats, or some other veggie delicacy. I tested this yesterday, mixing in a high percentage of black oil sunflower seeds with the handful of ‘scratch’ and was snubbed and stared at with baleful looks of contempt and then crushing indifference. Sweet-talking didn’t work, either. The rest of the yard, grass, bugs, worms, fluttering insects, held their attention like a turbo-magnet. Dissed!

The message was clear: unless I filled their high-level -corn-scratch expectations, I was worth, well, -less than chicken-scratch! There was no sign of ‘being loved ‘for myself’. We learned chickens are very practical and focused on ‘chicken-business’. They are not being mean-spirited, they just have other ‘stuff to do’. They will take additional art to ‘tame’. Even Izzy-the-Wise! Friendship has to be ‘earned’ with Izzy-the-Wise. A life lesson? Izzy will not be rushed. Her heart is not obligated to notice the warm place I hold for her in mine. She feels even less acquainted when my grandkids try to reach out to her. Grandma, we want to pet her! So do I.

Pondering in the Chicken Parlor Patio, I conclude: We are on an adventure of making friends, Izzy-the-Wise,(other humans and other chickens have done this somehow!) and Izzy, thank you for the lessons, in advance, you will teach me!

Post script: Comments on, or stories of Chicken-taming: Welcome! How-to’s, and pointers welcome, also!